HOME OWNERSHIP

Over the past 25 years, the BGC has renovated or built more than 200 units of rental and owner-occupied housing in Garfield, Bloomfield, and Highland Park. By mid-2010, a total of 50 such houses had been built over an eight-year period, in collaboration with our partner, Garfield Jubilee Association.

The BGC works to make decent, affordable housing available for all residents of our community. We acquire vacant and abandoned property from the city’s property reserve to pass on to responsible and financially sound developers for redevelopment. We also renovate and build new homes to offer for sale to owner-occupants.

Although high utility bills can keep many families from owning homes, the new homes built by the BGC, in partnership with the Garfield Jubilee Association and others, meet federal EnergyStar standards to make homeownership a manageable goal for all families. By providing affordable housing, the BGC is helping create a more stable neighborhood where residents can afford more than just their basic expenses.